Means for operating fish-traps.



J. R. WHELEN.

MEANS FOR OPERATING FISH TRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1914.

1,164,898. I .Patel ltd De@.21, 1915.

n WITNESSES."

W James R. Whelen 7 ,4 TTOHNEY COLUMBIA PLANOuRAPH c0..'WAsmNu'roN. DC.

7 tion. *5

: JAMESR.1WI-IELEN, or DENVER, COLORADO.

ion.

T/IEANS FOR OPERATING FISH-TRAPS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. WHELEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver, State of U010- rado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating Fish- Traps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my inyention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for operating that part of the fish trap which is adapted to beanchored in the water, and is specially designed for operating my trap disclosed in my former application for patent, Serial No. 7 43,964, the present application for patent being a divisional application of the above mentioned applica;

The object of the invention is to provide an effective, simple and positive means of elevating the trap out of the water, together with providing similar means for first operating the trap to inclose or restrain the fish inthetrap.

In the following detail description of my invention, many other obiects and advantages will become apparent, and it is therefore not considered necessary to recite further objects of the invention here.

1 will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a front el.eva-' tion view; Flg. 2 is aside elevation view; Fig. 3 1s a view of the cross-head employed,

and Fig. 4 is a cross sectionview of the hoisting frame.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views-of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters, 7

Let the numeral 5 designate the hoisting frame,formed of sheet metal, and open in front as shown at 6. This hoisting frame 5 is adapted to be mounted at its lowerextremity upon a fulcrum, whereby the same may be turned upon its fulcrum to swing the trap over and away from the water, beam 7 extends from near the bottom of the frame 5, upwardly and at an angle to the Specification of Letters Patent.

brace 8.

said frame, over the water, the upper extremity of said member being connected with the upper extremity of said frame by means of a brace or transverse member 8. A similar brace 9 connects the said beam 7 with the hoisting frame 5, the said brace 9 Patented Dec. 21,1915.

Original application filed January 24, 1913, Serial No; 743,964. Divided and this application filed January 27, 1914. Serial No. 814,625.

being interposed ata lower plane than the A roller 10 is journaled at the upper extremity of the beam 7, and over which a hoisting cable 12 passes, the said hoisting cable also passing over a roller 13 journaled in the top of the hoisting frame 5. One extremity of this hoisting cable 12 is adapted to be connected with a trap, which is to be anchored in the water, the form of trap which I employ being shown in my copending application Serial No. 743,964, the other extremity of the cable, within the hoisting frame 5, being provided with a hook 14, to which is secured a cross-head 15, 'slidably mountedwithin the hoisting frame 5, the said hook 14 being secured to the central member 16 of the cross-head by means of bolts 17. A weight 18 is slidably mounted in the hoisting frame 5 and is provided with a hook 19, adapted to. engage with a ring 20, made secure to one end of a cable 20, which passes over a pulley 21, journaled in the top of the said hoisting frame, the said cable passing thence downward and connected with a winch 22. The winch 22 is journaled on the lower part of the hoisting frame 5 in brackets 23. A ratchet wheel 24 is made fast with the winch 22 and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 25, mounted upon one of the brackets 23. The trap proper connected with the one end of the cable 12 normally holds the cross-head 15 in the raised position; Now by turning the winch 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the weight 18 is caused to be raised and a pivoted dog 26, with which the weight is provided, to engage with the hook 14. The weight 18 is provided with an arm 27, adapted to engage with a rack bar 28 when the said weight is raised, the said rack bar being pivoted at its ric' the said rack bar inwardly against the tension ofithe spring 30, thus releasing the "weight '18 drops uponv a removable cushion moved. The thicknessof the cushion eml/Vhen' the weia'ht 18 is in its raised osition' po;ted in its raised position. Now the ring 520 may be disengaged from the hook 19 by pulling upon a releasing cable 32, secured to said ringQO, thus leaving the weight 18 supportedentirely upon the rack bar 28.

A bell-cranlelever is pivoted upon the hoisting frame 5, as shown at 3%, one arm of saidVbell-crank lever being connected with the low'er extremityof the rack bar 28,while a cable is connected with the other arm of said bell-crank lever, and by means of which the said bell-crank lever is operated to move weight 18 and allowing the latter to drop, wherebythecable 12 is drawn inwardly to raise the trap proper out of thewater. The

36,- arranged within the hoisting frame 5 near the bottom of the latter. The hoisting frame 5 is cut away, as shown at 37 so that the said cushiono36 maybe inserted and reployed may be varied to regulate the drop of the weight 18 and consequently also regulate the distance which-the trap proper will be raised from the water. The drop of the weight 18 should preferably beregulated so that, the trap will be only-partially raised from the water, thus relying uponthe specific gravity of-the water'to partially supportthe weight of the trap and fish held. thereinf- After the trap has been thus raised, the hoisting frame 5 may be swung on'flits fulcrum to swing the trap near the shore where the fish may be removed there- .from. Now, when the fish havebeen removedand the hoisting frame 5 swung back to its oriQinal pcsi-tion, the cable 12 maybe released from connection-with the weight 18, and the'trap allowed tosink in the water.

vThis is accomplished by pressing upon the dog 26, whereby the latter is released from thehook lt and the cable 12 allowed tobe drawn outwardly by the weight-of the trap as it sinks in the water, the cross-head 15 be- .ing also carried to the topof the hoisting frame 5 by'tlie said trap. Now the weight 18 maybe again elevated, in the same man ner: heretofore, explained, and connected with the cable 12, wherebythe mechanism is againin position to spring the trap when While II have described and illustrated herein, .a specific form of my invention itis understood .thatI am not limited thereto and that thesame may be modified and varied without,departinglfrom the'spirit of my invention or the scope of f the appended. the arm .27 of the latter engages with the rack bar 28, and thus the Weight issupr claims? I Having thus described my invention, what I claim and ent is r 1. Means for operating fish traps, comdesire to: secure by Letters Patprising a hoisting frame, a weight slidably i mountedin said hoisting frame, a cross-head also slidably mounted in saidhoisting frame,

the said cross-head adapted to be connected with said fish trap, theweight of; the fish trap adapted to normally support said crosshead in the raised position, means for connecting the weight witn said cross-head,

means for raising said-weight to connect the' latter-with said cross-head, a rackbar pivity, the weight being provided with a memoted upon the hoisting frame at one eXtre'mber adapted toengage with saidrack bar,

whereby said weight is supported in the raised position, the said rack bar being nori mally spring held in the path of said mem- 5 bar, and means for releasingsaid rack bar 1 from engagement with said member to permit the weight to drop, whereby the fish trap is raised.

2. Hoisting means, comprising a vertically arranged frame, a weight slidably mounted in said frame, a cross-head alsox slidably mounted in said frame, a connection between said cross-headand the-article to be ho sted, a supporting arm mounted upon said weight, a rack bar mounted upon drop and elevate. the articlefto be hoisted, substantially as described;

with said cross-head, the said cross-head beweight from said bar to permit the same to r 3. Hoisting means, comprisingavertically arranged frame, a weight slidably mounted i insaid frame, a cross-head also slidably mounted in said frame, means for connect-f ing 'said weight with said cross-head, means i for raising said weight to connect the latter with said cross-head, said weight being provided with a supporting arm, a rack bar. 'mounted upon the said frame and held in the path ofsaid arm, whereby when said.

weight is raised said arm engages with said weight from said rack bar to permit said rack bar for supporting said weightin the V raised pos1t1on, and means for releasing said weightto drop'and elevate the article to be,

hoisted.

4. Means for operating fish traps, comprising a vertically arranged frame, a weight a a slidablymo-untedin said frame, a cross-head also slidably mounted in said frame above said weight, a connection between said crosshead and the fish trap, means for connecting the weight with said cross-head, means for raising said weight to connect the latter with said cross-head, means for retaining said weight in its raised position, and means for releasing said weight from its raised position to permit the latter to drop and carry the cross-head therewith, whereby said fish trap is operated.

5. Means of the class described, comprising'a vertically disposed frame, a weight slidably mounted in said frame, a cross-head also slidably mounted in said frame above said weight, means for connecting said weight with said cross-head, a winch journaled on said vertically disposed frame, a connection between said Winch and said with said cross-head, an arm secured to said weight and extending beyond the edge of said frame, a rack bar pivoted at one extremity on said frame and normally held in the path of said arm, whereby when said weight is raised said arm engages with said rack bar for supporting said weight in the raised position, a bell-crank lever fulcrumed on said vertically disposed frame and having one arm thereof connected with said rack bar, and means connected with the other arm of said bell-crank lever for actuating said bell-crank lever to cause the rack bar to be disengaged from said arm and permit the said weight to drop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. WHELEN.

\Vitnesses JNo. G. POWELL, M. W. SPAULDING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivercents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

